"The world always makes the assumption that the exposure of an error is identical with the discovery of truth -- that the error and truth are simply opposite. They are nothing of the sort. What the world turns to, when it is cured on one error, is usually simply another error, and maybe one worse than the first one." ~ H.L. Mencken

The Confessions of Osama Bin Laden

I confess I did not know then, but I know now, why you Americans stopped chasing me at Tora Bora in October 2001.

I confess I barely escaped. I confess you almost captured me alive.I confess that I fully understand now how my escape was necessary for America. I fully understand how a living master criminal'Me'was far more useful that a dead or mutilated terrorist.I fully expect to be blamed for the problems presently ailing America. Let me repeat: I fully expect to be blamed for all the woes of America. Seven years since 2001, I fully expect to be a pivotal part of the next grand chess move. I fully expect to be utilized simply to distract, disrupt and terrorize Americans again. Why?Simple.To harden Americans for the next eight years ahead. To offer your new administration, an administration that has promised you "Change," a chance to undertake powerful changes to amass even more dictatorial powers. To further erode the innate resiliency of the average American. To distract all Americans from the self-inflicted economic woes that have nothing to do with myself. And most importantly, to strengthen and bolster the already powerful security state of America.How will I do this, you ask?Another 911 attack, predicts your Western media. Another terrorist attack, but this time far worse, says your media reporters. Be afraid. Be afraid. Be very afraid, says increasing numbers of your mainstream media outlets and top European sources. Another attack is coming, said ABC. The BBC and London Times blares regular scares, such as Barack Obama is warned to beware of a 'huge threat' from al-Qaeda. My name is repeated again and again. Why? Just in time to bolster another beleaguered American president who has surrounded himself, even before his inauguration, with more militarists and more neoconservatives who need a powerful unifying event.In the next few months, I will be used to divert you. A terrible attack, ANY terrible attack, will be blamed on me. You remember anthrax? You remember the DC sniper? You remember the series of train bombings in Europe? All blamed on me but none of them fully investigated. Even your esteemed FBI doubted they had sufficient evidence to convict me of the September 11, 2001 attack in a court of law. Now imagine a much larger bombing incident, with tens of thousands of deaths and injuries. Imagine how difficult that would be to prove who did it in a court of law.But imagine again who would benefit. Imagine the outrage. Imagine how that outrage could be effectively channeled.Which group of powerful people would most benefit from another Bin Laden attack? Of course the vast security state apparatus. Who else would benefit? Chiefly the militarists in need of another eight years of empire-building and military expenditures and costly war machines. Who else? The combined corrupt political systems of the Western world that has led the world to the very edge of the economic abyss and now needs, desperately needs, another epic distraction. A devastating attack would benefit both your Republican and Democrat infrastructures, because once again they could pretend to unite against a common enemy: Me.We all heard the heated rhetoric between the two candidates these past few months. I watched both CNN and Al Jazeera, and this is what I heard continually: The problems besetting America can only be resolved by bombing Pakistan'underway as I write this'or attacking Iran or Syria or Russia or whatever country annoys you. That is the mindset of your leaders and has been the imperial mindset for more than 60 years, long before I was born. Don't you see the scam? The preceding eight years will be followed by a succeeding eight years. Obama Needs Osama as desperately as Bush once needed me. To distract, to divert, to control and to continue to control, until you are wholly controlled.Another terrorist attack is needed, but one much bigger than 911. More terrifying. More on the scale of those terrorist attacks you fear on your popular TV show, "24." How exactly will I bring this predicted attack to your very doorstep, you wonder? How would I do that, you ask? Will I bring a suitcase nuke in a backpack from across your lightly guarded southern border? Will I slip it in a shipping container from one of your lightly patrolled coastal ports? Will I bring destruction to America through the air, in another airline attack?Why won't your US newsmen and women ask who controls the security at airports or sports stadiums? Who controls the security at ports and harbors? Is it Al Qaeda? Who controls the anthrax at your top secret government labs? Is it Al Qaeda? Whoever controls your security systems can often be compromised. Why won't your reporters ask who controls the security of your nuclear bombs? After all, one of them went missing from your own US Air Force and several flew across your country, unauthorized and nearly undetected.If another, much larger terrorist attack were to occur on the home soil of America, who would be most to blame? Since 911, you have amassed a huge network of security systems. Millions of hardworking Americans now work in the security field. I know, since I was an employee of the CIA. So how could I, Osama Bin Laden, breach your trillion dollar security state? Unless of course a breach is the intended purpose.Who robbed you of $12 trillion from your Social Security system? Was it me or those you elected? Why won't your newsmen ask that question? Was it me who robbed you of trillions in Iraq? Was it me or those who you willingly elected? Republicans and Democrats? Was it me who rendered your banks insolvent? Was it me who disrupted Wall Street and destroyed investor confidence? Was it me who threatens to topple the global economic system? Or was it your own elected leaders?In desperate times, a security state that desperately needs enemies will often reinvent old enemies to survive. True, I confess I was very confused that I wasn't pursued and caught after the attack on Tora Bora in 2001. Your well-trained Special Forces fighters had me cornered. But I understood then, and now, an enemy is worth far more alive than dead to some people. That is why you now hear my name, Bin Laden, repeatedly in your news, although I'm hooked up to a kidney dialysis machine far from the border of Pakistan. Possibly my next video has already been prepared.

Award winning artist, photographer and freelance journalist, Douglas Herman can be found wandering the back roads of America. Doug authored the political crime thriller, The Guns of Dallas and wrote and directed the Independent feature film,Throwing Caution to the Wind, naturally a "road movie," and credits STR for giving him the impetus to write well, both provocatively and entertainingly. A longtime gypsy, Doug completed a 10,000 mile circumnavigation of North America, by bicycle, at the age of 35, and still wanders between Bullhead City, Arizona and Kodiak, Alaska with forays frequently into the so-called civilized world of Greater LA. Write him at Roadmovie2 @ Gmail.com